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Ownership of the Cleveland Indians has just changed hands, and the boss is looking to relocate. In hopes of placing dead last, she cleans house and recruits the most unlikely team of misfits to ever play the game.

IS IT A GOOD MOVIE?

I’ve never been fan of baseball, but I love a good underdog sports flick and MAJOR LEAGUE is exactly that! David Ward put together and all star cast who really knocked this hard hitting comedy out of the park. What gets me the most is the gritty “R” rated dialogue, I miss the eighties, back when adults talked like adults. This movie’s full of great one liners, quirky characters (Pedro Cerrano being my favorite, everything the guy does is priceless), and non-stop laughs. If baseball games were really this fun, I’d have season tickets!

Seeing Wesley Snipes in action put a smile on my face (I really miss the guy), and I’ve always been a fan of Charlie Sheen, especially in something that isn’t TWO AND A HALF MEN. Tom Berenger was cool, but his stiff (and a little too drawn out) love interest made the pace a bit rocky at times. The first half of the film’s score was a drag for me, but the pace quickly picked up when the “wild thing” theme came into play. I have no problem with Ward’s directing, he’s got an eye for sports (having directed another of my sport favorites THE PROGRAM) and I was very happy with his well written script.

What made this film work most for me was the little touches, the fans bashing the team only to come around, the voodoo, the announcers and the stand up picture of the team owner they stripped down after each win. There was a ton of positive energy here, the team comradery perfectly executed by way of actor chemistry, the underdog race to the top highlighted by the epic final showdown, and then there’s the “heart warming” giddiness I feel when a team passed off as losers pull through (case in point, THE REPLACEMENTS being another of my favorites).

MAJOR LEAGUE may not be perfect, but it’s a hell of a good time if you’re looking to kick back for some laughs. I’m also quite pleased with the sensational transfer to Blu-ray, making it hard to believe this flick is twenty years old. Watching sports on TV is rarely epic (unless of course you’re betting big money and win), but movies like this always seem to pack a punch and deliver big numbers in my eyes. There’s no great mystery to flicks like these, you KNOW they’re gonna win, but you’re on the edge of your seat anyway. That’s the magic I love so much about sports movies. And though some eighties flicks feel dated by today’s standards, MAJOR LEAGUE is just as much fun now as it ever was, making this one game you won’t wanna miss.

THE EXTRAS

Commentary by Writer/Director David S. Ward and producer Chris Chesser: David was happy to shoot some of this flick in his hometown of Cleveland, even if it was only the beginning. I would have loved to see Berenger’s Mexican team stuff they shot, but sadly they had to cut it. No deleted scene?

My Kinda Team: Cast and crew commend David Ward’s love and understanding of the game, and how this movie captured the essence of baseball. What’s hilarious is that the concept for the film was based on David’s love of the real Indians team and how funny it would be if they won.

A Major League Look at Major League: Professional baseball players from the real Indians team express their love for the film. My favorite part? They all agree that of all the characters in the film, Vaughn is the most true to life. Nice.

Bob Uecker: Just A Bit Outside: They same players now give announcer Harry Doyle some love. Apparently they use his “just a bit outside” quote from the movie all the time, and many of his other quotes are still used on Sports Center.

Alternate Ending with Filmmaker Introduction: The producer’s other ending flipped the script on the evil owner, having her end up being cool. They cut it however, because the audience already loved to hate her. Good call.

A Tour of Cerrano’s Locker: Pedro explains all the voodoo trinkets in his locker. He quickly admits that Jobu isn’t a real voodoo God, for all those voodoo people out there who may be offended and decide to curse him.

Photo Gallery: Lots of movie stills being guarded by Jobu and his rum.

FINAL DIAGNOSIS

Whether you love or hate baseball, MAJOR LEAGUE will win you over. With a stellar cast, lots of jokes and a big heart, this ageless classic pays great homage to stars who have come and gone. I wouldn’t call this a MUST HAVE on Blu-ray, but it’s pretty damn close.